


Here For You

by cynical_ravenclaw



Category: My Engineer (TV)
Genre: Frong's internal monologue, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Cancer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:08:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23962864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynical_ravenclaw/pseuds/cynical_ravenclaw
Summary: Frong receives some bad news. Thara is here to be his support.In other words, what might go down after Frong meets with the doctor in EP10.
Relationships: Thara/Frong
Comments: 2
Kudos: 88





	Here For You

**Author's Note:**

> I would just like to clarify in the beginning that in the English subtitled teasers of EP10 that I've seen, they don't specifically say who is the person who has the tumour. In fact, one version says it's Frong himself. But considering Frong's mother's appearance in EP9 and that one scene in the show's trailer, his mom being the patient makes the most sense so that's what I've gone with.

As soon as the word "tumour" reached his ears, Frong's brain shut down. The doctor went on to explain the diagnosis further but he couldn't concentrate.

Frong glanced up at Thara, concentrated on the one familiar, comforting presence in this chaos. He hoped that Thara would step into the conversation and say that there has been an error and everything was fine with his mom. Instead, Thara gave worse news.

"We don't know if the tumour is malignant or benign, but if it is malignant, it could be cancer."

Cancer? His mom could have cancer? No, no, no, there must be something wrong with the reports, they must have made a mistake! His mother just had a slight fever and headache. That cannot be cancer! Why was Thara in the room anyway? He wouldn't know if it was or wasn't cancer, right? He wasn't even a proper doctor!

The doctor wrote down some medication that Frong's mother was supposed to take that week. He also told them to get a few tests done so they would know more about her condition. Frong thanked the doctor and left the room, desperately wanting to be alone somewhere. The balcony outside the waiting room seemed like a good idea.

Sometime later, Frong still was standing in his little corner of the balcony, lost in his own thoughts and fears when he heard a soft _"Hello"_ behind him. He turned around to find Thara looking back at him.

"You just got some extremely terrible news so I thought I should come over and check up on you."

Frong turned away and muttered a reply so quiet that Thara probably couldn't even hear him.

"Thanks for that but I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You've not moved from this corner for the last hour."

Fuck, he had been standing here an hour already? Frong knew he was trying to delay the inevitable moment of telling the truth to his mom by hanging around here. But no one could blame him for that, right? No one wants to give such shitty news to their own mom.

Frong let out a slow exhale but didn't say anything. Turned out, he didn't have to. Thara placed his palm on Frong's cheek and turned his head to face him.

"Hey, I know this is difficult but you can't stand here pretending nothing is wrong. You have to go home and tell your mother, your family. She's going to need you. You have to be strong for her sake. And of course, I'm here for you, okay? Whatever you need, whenever you need. I'm here."

Thara's palm on his cheek and the warmth in his smile directed at him sent shivers down Frong's spine and made him forget about everything else for one peaceful moment. But then he remembered how his world was about to collapse, and he did what he does when cornered and scared. Threw ice on all warm sensations that were slowly creeping up his body, and pulled on his armour of snark and general whining.

"It's not your mom who might have cancer. You would never understand!"

Frong brushed past Thara, rushing outside the building. He had barely made it till the front doors when Thara caught up with him.

"Frong, wait! Please listen to me!"

He sat down on a bench just outside the doors. Thara cautiously slid beside him.

"What could you possibly have to say? You've already given the diagnosis. Now I have to go home and tell my mom that she might be dying. And I have to live with the fact that any day could be the last day I'm seeing my mom!"

"Frong, we don't know if the tumour is malignant or benign. Your mother's life is at risk only if it is malignant. There's still a 50% chance that she's perfectly healthy."

"There's also a 50% chance that she's not! Don't get our hopes up only to crush them later."

The sob that Frong had tried so hard to suppress broke through anyway. Burying his head in his hands, he let the tears flow freely. Better break down here and be strong for his mom at home. He felt Thara's hand make its way across his back to his shoulder. He gently pulled Frong backwards till his head was resting against Thara's shoulder, his arms around Frong. Frong leaned into the touch inspite of himself.

The hand which had been on Frong's shoulder was now holding him as close to Thara as possible. Thara's other hand had found it's way to Frong's tightly clasped together hands and was now rubbing comforting circles at the base of his thumb.

Frong closed his eyes and melted.

They had barely known each other for about a week or so, but Thara still cared enough to leave all his work behind and sit here with him to support him during his distress. So Frong threw all his inhibitions and pretences of being strong to the wind, buried his face in Thara's neck, and cried his heart out.

For all Frong's snark and grumpiness towards Thara, he didn't actually hate him. Thara was the literal embodiment of sunshine, always smiling and kind to everyone, including Frong. Frong was just snarky towards him because that's how he had been the first time they met, and now holding any other tone felt wrong. Even if he didn't harbour any bitterness towards the guy.

The first time they met, Frong had refused to sell Thara the flowers he wanted and pushed him out of the store. All because he was feeling moody that day. The second time, he had snapped at Thara about him not being a real doctor. Hell, he had even bet his money in a wager he knew he was going to lose, just to be petty. The last time, he was drunk out of his mind and had hit his head against a sign like an absolute idiot. And what had Thara done? He had just smiled at the situation like it was the highlight of his day, and made sure Frong got an icepack for his head and had eaten so that the hangover wouldn't be terrible. He had also been amazing enough to not judge Frong for any of it. How could Frong possibly hate a guy like that?

That being said, Frong hadn't always meant to like Thara. In fact, the first time, he had been very adamant to not like him. But over the course of the handful occasions their paths had crossed, Thara had chipped away at Frong's walls. Bit by bit, inch by inch. Until Frong didn't have it in him to not like Thara anymore. Until that fateful night outside the bar, when alcohol lowered his inhibitions and made him tear down that wall himself to look at Thara with obvious adoration. When the coldness of an icepack and the warmth of Thara's attention made him _want._

Eventually, Frong's sobs reduced down to tiny sniffles every now and then. In response, Thara tightened his hold on him. Frong didn't know how long they sat there, on a random bench outside the hospital. He didn't know how he was going to face his mother and break the news to her. He did know that he had to do it anyway. He also knew that Thara would be there to help him at every step of the way. Whether as Frong's friend or just as the doctor's intern, that remained to be seen. But he would be there, that was for sure.

Frong wondered if Thara was just as warm and sweet to all his patients and their families, or if Frong was an exception. He probably was nice to everyone, that was just the kind of person Thara was. But in the corner of his mind, Frong hoped that this was an exceptional case. He didn't ask himself why he hoped that. He wasn't that brave yet.

Maybe one day Frong would have the courage to ask himself that question. But for now, he was content to be here with Thara and receive the comfort and support being offered to him.


End file.
